Courses

Having over 30 years experience in making sculpture and being a fully qualified teacher it gives me great satisfaction to pass on some of the skills and knowledge I have gathered . You can find out more about Pete here. I run taster days and weekend courses from my base here in Cornwall and regularly offer one and two day courses at other venues.

The maximum group size for any course is six carvers and the emphasis is always on making sure each individual develops their skills, from whatever starting point, and produces a satisfying piece of work. Course content is described on this page, but we would stress that there is always flexibility within this to meet the needs of each student. If you have any questions about the course content, or how this fits in with what you would like to do, please just ask.

All our courses are flexible and you can choose to concentrate on letter carving, relief carving or fully 3-d. Below is a short description of what will be covered on a one or two day letter carving or relief carving course.

One Day Taster Course

Thisis essentially an introduction to the tools and techniques of working with stone. Given the short duration, this will generally involve working on a slab of Portland stone around A4 paper size in height and width and around 30mm in depth. We work on traditional carving easels which I find the most effective, though a sitting down option is available if people find standing for long periods uncomfortable.

After going through the use of tools and some safety points we will try a few practice cuts and exercises. With these skills learned we then look at creating depth, controlling how the stone breaks and techniques for making the design stand out from the stone. By the end of the day we will have a completed carving.

Two Day Course

This is an extension of the one day course for those who want to create something a little more ambitious. Over two days a more complex design can be attempted with greater depth or more complex forms. I have a fair range of source material for carving projects, but it is always good to work with student's own ideas and I am always happy to discuss possibilities beforehand.

For all courses, the price includes the use of all stone and materials as well as refreshments. Tea/coffee/cake of course, plus a sit-down lunch which will usually include home-made soup and my own sourdough bread plus whatever else seems appropriate for the season.

I have really enjoyed working on this sculpture with your guidance and expert help - thank you, you have taught me so much. I will definitely be back, see you soon.